Mujuru in grand political entry

THERE was drama and excitement outside a top Harare hotel as former Vice-President and opposition Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) leader Joice Mujuru held her first Press conference more than a year after she was kicked out of the ruling Zanu PF, officially announcing she was ready to take on her former boss, President Robert Mugabe.

BY RICHARD CHIDZA/EVERSON MUSHAVA

In her first public appearance since her ejection from Zanu PF, Mujuru spelt out her vision for the country, declaring Zimbabwe is “a broken State crying out for transformation”.

Scores of diplomats, church leaders, farmers, business representatives and hordes of journalists packed the venue way before her scheduled arrival.

ZimPF leader Joice Mujuru addresses her first Press conference at a top hotel in Harare yesterday[/Caption]

Other notable figures at the event included former Minister of State in her office Sylvester Nguni, former Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti and

Suspected State security agents predictably swarmed the launch venue, but curiously uniformed police officers were conspicuous by their absence despite the swelling crowd outside the hotel.

After speaking to journalists, Mujuru later addressed an impromptu rally outside the hotel, where her supporters jostled to get a glimpse of the liberation war heroine-turned-opposition party leader.

And Mujuru, who was flanked by ex-State Intelligence minister Didymus Mutasa and former Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, did not disappoint, calling on her lieutenants to “go thou and multiply”.

“I stand for peace,” she declared to applause from the gathered throng.

“I am not here to fight anyone. I urge you to mobilise peacefully so that we can win the 2018 general elections.”

In her prepared speech, Mujuru described Zimbabwe as a broken society “crying out for transformation”.

“Zimbabwe is a broken country. In dark times such as these, we look to the government of the day to serve as builders of a better country for all,” she said.

“We look to the government of the day to bring the change that is desired by all. We know we will not get this from the government of the day. It has broken the social contract that should exist with the Zimbabwean people.”

Mujuru said Mugabe’s administration had stolen citizens’ “right to self-determination and self-dignity” and could not provide answers to the country’s problems.
The ZimPF leader said she was humbled by “the people’s support”.

“There has been intense speculation from our detractors. There has been strong anticipation from our supporters.

“We had to resist the temptation to formalise our being and existence without adequate consultation with the people of Zimbabwe,” Mujuru said, adding ZimPF was a “viable, home-grown and inclusive political party” in what could be a direct rebuttal to potshots from Zanu PF that her political project is foreign-funded.

With Zanu PF having, since Independence, “monopolised” the country’s war of liberation at election times and labelled opposition parties agents of Western imperialism, Mujuru did not waste time to claim her share of the struggle glory and legacy.

Describing Mugabe’s government as an “unjust system”, the ZimPF leader said her party was informed by the values of the liberation struggle, quoting the late Zanla commander Josiah Tongogara’s words that “we are not fighting against the white man, but a system”.

“The legacy of the liberation struggle belongs to all Zimbabweans,” Mujuru said.

“We fought for the right to self-determination, the right to freedom, the right to vote under the principle of one-person one-vote and not one man voting for us all.

“Today, that unjust system that Zanla, Zipra and the Zimbabwean masses fought against remains a noose around our necks, as that system has stolen any hope for the people of Zimbabwe.”

She poked holes into Mugabe’s policies, chief among them the indigenisation law as well as the land reform programme.

“Zimbabwe needs friendly and market-driven policies to stimulate economic activity. There should be an independent land audit to weed out multiple farm ownership and support for sustainable land use.

“A more acceptable security of tenure will replace the offer letters, which leave both recipients and lenders very insecure.”

She said her party would return Zimbabwe to the “global community” of nations, including the Commonwealth, from which Mugabe unilaterally withdrew the country following accusations of human rights abuses in 2003.

“We shall be committed to meeting our international debt obligations. We will seek rapprochement with countries that currently have poor diplomatic and difficult economic relations with Zimbabwe, without sacrificing our sovereignty,” the former Vice-President said.

In response to scepticism over her ability to change having been part of Zanu PF for decades, the ex-VP said ZimPF was “a new entity” with new values and followers from every political party in Zimbabwe, including those who had never joined any political party before.

Scepticism abounds whether Mujuru could shake off the Zanu PF tag, but she was at pains to dissociate herself from the party that had given her a first political home.

“I have known only one political party since I joined the liberation struggle,” she said.

“I am now outside that party and I will not go back. I am neither an assassin nor a witch. I have never been a pretender. That is why you never heard me encourage or promote hate speech.

“If there is any crime that I am guilty of, it is the belief in the periodic constitutional and democratic renewal of leadership from within and this is the same position I am now promoting within ZimPF.”

In a subtle reaching out to the country’s influential military establishment, Mujuru said: “We urge all our war veterans, the police, army, air force and intelligence services to defend the Constitution of Zimbabwe.”

Mujuru, like all opposition leaders, also demanded electoral reform “to ensure a level playing field so that the next election is not in any way disputed or considered flawed or rigged”.

97 Responses to Mujuru in grand political entry

There is nothing really this old lady can do to Zimbabweans,Only fools will follow her.Mujuru,Mutasa,Gumbo,Mavhairetc have been busy looting,killing and destroying the country for the past 3 decades,didn’t they saw that the nation was dying?Now because they were sacked by their old master,they now want to point out the bad side of Zanu PF.Isu tinofamba naMorgan iyeye since 1999!

Danger you have to embrace change, It was David, the smallest and the most despised who took down Goliath. The vision is what will prune the ZimPF tree. I have no choice but to follow the visionaries, I cant see a better visionary for now but Joyce the best bet

@viva I agree we have to embrace change but lets not forget that these are the same people who were quiet all along when things were going bad .When they spoke it was just words ,words and more words and just like now its only words ,words and more words so until they start acting then they may make believers out of people like me .ndatisakanganwe cahnezurio nehope kutaurisa handiko kuita .

if you are not a fool, who are you following and why? iyeye ndiye asina kuloota. he joined the inclusive govt to loot. was not patient to wait for his turn to rule the country as MDC. BE SCHOOLED THAT SAVE is a creation of ZANU PF… AKAPANDUKIRA MUSANGANO

I will vote for Tsvangirai but what she says makes sense. Mugabe unilaterally removed Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth and Grace has multiple farms. However what I hate about this party is that Dydmus Mutasa terrorized people and even sent youths to kill in Rusape and Headlands. Look at how he was trying to steal Rusape Council house which he claimed was his yet he had not paid anything. You have surrounded yourself with the wrong people.

If you forgive, you will be forgiven, if he ever does that, Mutasa was surrounded by wrong people and was administering undue influence. I forgave Mutasa and all this team, I can give an an independant chance. Past is past, Tsvangirai is finished, he does have any strategy, wasted a lot of oppoertunities, write now ZANU PF is registering and working with people I never saw Tsvangirai team doing that. You might need to Think twice. Aurthur Mutambara and Weshman Ncube were confusion boxes

What is the difference between people first and zanu pf? Vanhu varikuvarairwa. Can someone please tell me what new idea Dzikamai Mavhaire, Rugare Gumbo, Dydmus Mutasa and Joice can bring forward? Are you sure you are not creating a new monster, which can be even worse than the current one? With all those war vets (and their sense of entitlement) together with those retired army generals are you people serious that you can remove them from power when you nolonger want them? These guys have been in the system, the ONLY thing in their minds is to go back to the gravy train and make sure this time they are DRIVING!! Morgan is just the worst of our options, if you want to remove revolutionary parties make sure you NEVER elect other revolutionaries because they will continue to tell you kuti takakusunungurai and this time you will owe them TWICE! Its relatively easy to remove Morgan after being elected president than to remove ANY of those guys. Please think about it.
The best choice now is to reignite the Original MDC! Its time to bring back Ncube and Biti and re-write the clause for presidential limit to do away with Morgan. Seal the cities and push the guerrillas back to the jungles. Let Mujuru get none of the urban vote and force them both to split the rural vote.
Now let it be one MDC against two Zanu PFs and to make it worse take Simba and Dumiso with you. Mujuru and co are never an option!!

even Tsvangirai my friend haasi kuda pachigara che party what more a national position ye hupresident.What have caused the MDC to be splitted,i thnk u nid to go back to the facts before you paraded your idea.Yes for a force of change Tsvangirai was the option but he proved to be one imature leader that Zimbabwe will ever have,he has failed us.I have no doubt in Mujuru and my man this is the person to rally behind…….chinja….. famba na Mai Mujuru…….

I have to admit that even though Joice Mujuru has a very dubious political track record with specific reference to corruption and business ethics, manipulating deals to suit her own pocket and agenda, making me doubt her slogan, “People First Party”, she is without doubt displaying a whole lot more political maturity and ethical behaviour compared to her rival in the form of the First Lady and her G40 team. So we have to applaud this commendable behaviour and hope that her example will inspire others to follow suit.

Bury the hatchet Colonial, Mai Mujuru do have the grace. Watch and see. Whatever past, Mugabe landed on the presidential throne with dirtiest hands ever, Tsvangirai do not have the clamour to exploit any opportunity. You may not be able to stand for your sentiments. Beware of the media, it created several political havens which never existed.

Ha its good vaChihoro , MY SISTER HAS FORMED HER OWN PARTY to contest the evil system she knows very well. Now WITH THE INSIDE INFORMATION WHICH SHE HAS ,SHE NEEDS TO LINK UP WITH OTHER PROGRESSIVE FORCES, ESPECIALLY MORGIZA AND FORM ONE UNITED FRONT TO GET ZANU PF OUT OF OFFICE. I AGREE WITH AN EARLIER WRITER WHO TALKED ABOUT HER TAINTED PAST, WHICH MESSES UP HER CV, BUT WE NEED ALL THE FORMER ZANU PF MEMBERS SO THAT THE OPPOSITION BECOMES FORMIDABLE. ON ITS OWN ZPF WONT DO MUCH EXCEPT TO SPLIT THE VOTES SAKA JOINAI MDC MOITA CHINHU CHIMWE THEN CHANCES OF WINNING THE ELECTION WILL BE TRIPPLED. IF MORGAN AND JOICE ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE, THEN LET BOTH BE DEPUTIES, MOSHEEDZA STRIVE MASIYIWA OITA PRESIDENT AND THATS A WINNING TEAM ISINA ANOSTOPER. FOOD FOR THOUGHT!!

Tawanda you are right, I think its high time you desist from the past, yakatodeuka, Nehunhu HwaMugabe pangabuda munhu akaita sei ipapa… her character is actually better compared to the potential character impartable by Mugabe. VIVA MUJURU!, all the traits and characters of these people are framed after Mugabe’s own leadership style. His subornates are not even immune his impartations…. you could also be staying with wife who gave into the Lecturer’s demand to get that Certificate. Ignore the past and read the vision

MUJURU AND TSVANGIRAI FIGHTING SIDE BY SIDE? IT’S AS GOOD AS THE TWO CARRYING VICTORY INTO OUR (ZANU PF’s) HANDS. YOU DID IT IN 2008 AND YOU SPLIT YOUR VOTES. REPEAT THE SAME AND YOU WILL BE SINGING FROM THE HYMN OF RIGGING, AS IF YOU CAN’T SEE SUCH A GLARING FACT. ZANU IS NOT A POLITICAL JUVENILE. HAMUSATI MATANGA.

I agree with you Masunda, but the issue here is how do you achieve that,especially with a divided electorate.. haubudirire thats why we are calling on everybody opposed to ZANU PF to come togethert and unite otherwise kutambisa nguva big time.. so these guys should all bury their egos and come under one umbrella. As separate entiries, hapana chinobuda because each one ane ma issues ake… there is mor strength in numbers cant you get it?

All said and done, what is her strategy to unite the opposition? Its not the surgence of opposition parties that counts but their ability to harmonize their conflicting interests and target a common enemy. Opposition politics require ‘shock absorbers’ to withstand the perennial intimidation and mistreatment from the ruling party. You have to withdraw your past political chauvinism and abide by the opposition guidelines failure to which will only lead to further opposition disintegration.

Yoh some names have destiny written all over them. How about ”Mahoka” synonymous with ”Mahooker” for we know that all that the Kongonya dancing Zanu PF Women’s League members ndivana mai muponesi vemashefu. Ko how about renaming ZRP to Zimbabwe Revenue Police? Ndava hakuchina rimwe basa kunze kwekutsvaga mari.

Super stuff! Joice has entered the political stage with a big political tremor that had shook Zanu pf’s corridors of poor.By expelling and her colleagues, Zanu dug its own political grave.Since her departure there is absolute confusion not only in the party structures, but also in the country’s national government.Where in the world does one find members of the same cabinet trading insults in the public domain?Joice was a stabilising factor both in the party and government.

I’ve been an MDC supporter from the day it was formed but hey l must admit while Tsvangirai did his best for the democratic struggle, he seems to have run out of steam lately. It would be sad for the mafikizolos of democracy such as Joice Mujuru & co to reap the rewards of the long battle but hey shit happens, its part of life

Joyce is not the choice, Zim people have to be protected from their own foolishness…Zimbabwe need to clean up every entity that has worked or still working for Mogabe in order to set Zimbabwe free…Africa is fast developing without Zimbabwe, revolution is the key, let’s send Mogabe the mad dictator and the rest to prison or exile in Libya

Votes splitting is a strong issue to happen. But since Mai MUJURU spoke of reforms in ZEC there might still be a chance,considering a free and fair election in2018. Nevertheless thank you Amai for your efforts. THREE POLITICAL PARTIES IN ZIMBABWE. BRAVO!! BRAVO!!

This is the only real party that stands a realistic chance of putting ZANU-PF into the grave. I urge all Zimbabweans to forgive these guys and give them a chance. I am sure they have indicated that they regret what they did as part of ZANU-PF. Take the biblical example of Saul or Paul; he persecuted the church, but later turned and his letters still inspire millions of Christians around the world. However what I want you to note my fellow countrymen is that munhu akakusunungura anogona kukusunungirirazve, asi Jesu kana akusunungura, akusunungura zvachose. Do not trust in man, but trust in the Almighty Lord God.

Yes, the coming in of Mujuru is good news, but take her with a pinch of sault. Mugabe is a big time schemer, he knows the plan here is to diffuse opposition votes. How does he do that, he is sacrificing his guys to save Zanu(pf). Remember the entry of Simba Makoni, was meant to divide oppostition votes and he succeded, now Makoni project dead and buried, he definitely must find another project, and this time Mujuru project, its all in his grand plan. Not taking anything from Mujuru, she is good, but let here hold more rallies, from there we can tell if she is in or not. Viva Morgiza, viva Mujuru?

Mujuru was Mugabe’s deputy for years after being a cabinet minister for decades how can she now turn around and saying the Country is broken when she had a hand in breaking the country? What an idiot.
But you see the Zezuru are gullible and docile they will start giving this bunch of con artists support.

We are behind you Amai, can someone knock a sense to ZAPU & Dumiso Dabengwa to join Joyce’s ZimPF as well as all the four factions of MDC to come aboard, the really change is coming. Don’t be shy all of you vadara vakuru, bantu abadala swallow your pride and let’s join hands and liberate our selves from the economic hardships and mental slavery this ruling party has put us and country into. Aluta continua. Viva ndini mfana weKu Blues. In God we Trust- AMEN.

ZANU PF will rule forever : The sole solution to weed out the ZANU PF mandarins from power is by forming a coalition of all political parties. Joice’s move is unwise as she really knows , deep down in her heart , that this is a vote splitting act. She should have swallowed her pride and mobilize all opposition parties to gather and boot out the Mugabe regime in 2018 elections.
Zimbabweans are power hungry , that is why there are lot opposition parties. Who is opposing who? What is the main objective? If it is to remove the ailing president and his crippled party why then opposing each other? As supporters , and partly analysts , we will come to conclude that these opposition parties have no credit to rule the country. We will give the credit to the current government as it has indicated through its commitment , although it has failed , until there is another party which will commit itself to serve for the people of Zimbabwe. This oneness and power hungry attitude being indicated by these opposition parties , even before in power , indicates a bleak future

Take it or leave it this woman is our hope. all revolutions in Africa were won by people with liberation war credentials. wats there to lose by trying her out? nothing. Tsvangirai is a hopeless coward, Mugabe a merciless dictator. Ini zii zvangu ndichienda kuna mujuru, muchazoti tucha tucha isu tave pazvigaro zvepamusoro.

We know of failures many people who decided to pull out from ZANU PF and form their own parties, the like of Tekere, Dabengwa, Makoni etc, but where are they. Empty vessels make a lot of noise. You were with ZANU PF muchiti Tsvangirai is a sellout pasi naye nhasi moda kuita coalition naye. You want to play around with pour minds. You better choose any one else asati ambopinda mupolitics caz you have experience yekuti vanhu vanovharwa sei. nxaaaaa. vanoda teerai asi I know kuti hapana kunoendwa.

This is just a tabled and now in process Zanu PF project. For they have heard MDC T it will not participate any future elections without new reform, and they really know they mean it as they now have long history suffering under same Mugabe tactics. That’s when they started purging each other brain washing poor citizens so that when time towards election comes there will be more parties which can contest elections. As the Zanu PF well know that Joyce mujuru was people’s darling they started purging her and labelling her lots of crimes which we did not even see any of the seating courts of the land giving her a case to answer. Come election time there were be lots of different parties formed under the wings of Zanu PF so that even if the MDC T say it will not contest the international community will automatically endorse the election valid and free and fair as there will be lots of participants with different bunners. Watch the space few moths just next election all these ZimPF making no ice will start going back to their master one by one and Mugabe and team will simply say “we welcome u back l, you are our sons and daughter. Their main project is to silence people’s will of having MAC T voted. And also after next election the project will be over. Also this is a way of creating a strong voter aparth in the case that MAC T will change its last congress’ resolution and contest without reforms put into place. I call all this no ice hogwash as this is another rebirth of majority Zimbabweans suffering, brain washed. Remember Zanu PF is very good at dived and rule tactics. If we support these New no ice makers we are supporting our life long future of suffering. Also remember Zanu PF started purging each other soon after MDC T congress and in preparation for their end of year congress. Let’s wake up Zimbabweans and lets not be taken at ransom. These guys have been eating in same plate for more than three dacades and we were crying saying what they want to preach to us today.

Change is inevitable

No to Zanu PF wings

True Zimbabweans have focus and not given lots of events in short period of time so that’s u easily forget what happened yesterday

@ vanhukwavo – ngatisiyaneyi nezvakaitika kare tiwone zviri mberi. Past is past. Cde Amai Mujuru has realized her mistake and apologized for the wrongs that she did when she was in Zanu PF. Just give her a chance timbowona kwavachatisvitsa ne ZimPF yedu. She is a new broom rinonyatsotsvaira tsvina dzese dzirikuitika idzi.

my vote to mother mujuru Zim need change cde mujuru don’t shout bad words like first lady .I like the way she behave wen ZANU pf and Mugabe’s team attacked her! she have brain not to listen to an empty tin viva mama

Its too late Mai Mujuru. You have contributed to the fall of Zimbabwe and now you want us to help get you from the pit that your friends have pushed you into. No madame, we can not do that. You are not the ryt one to lead our government. Why have you been quiet all along if its true that you have been against Mugabe and his way of rule. You and Mugabe destroyed our lives. We can not vote you into that office, Neither can we vote Tsvangirai into that office. We gave you your chances but you trembled on the trust that we once bestowed on you. We gave you 100% trust but you ate down the trust that we banked on you. Better to go for Simba Makoni or Dabengwa.

great nations cannot be maintained by timidity ………………. Mugabe is scared of his own wife and the party is losing its taste. its high time for the active population to lead. anyone over 60 is dependent and should not lead but be led

To all comrades. First and foremost l would like to say this one thing loud and clear. Yes l was part of the system that has crippled this nation. Yes l was there when shody policies were being put into action. I was part of Zanu PF through and through. At that time l never saw anything wrong because honestly my pocket was being filled. But l can say this truly if l had not been sacked l would still be in Zanu PF.
But l can say getting sucked was a turning point for me. I began to see things more clearer. I want to send my apologies to all Zimbabwean citizens. I take responsibility for everything that happened whilst l was still in Zanu. I hope and pray that you will find it in your hearts to forgive me fellow citizens.
Now because l know every trick l believe l can use it against Zanu so that what we fought for in the liberation struggle is realized……

Mutasa mentioned that he views Mugabe as their legitimate leader and that the original Zanu pf was infiltrated by weevils.He also and I quote said ‘If Mugabe come to our party,’ ZimPf, ‘we will glady let him rule.’Confused?I am